Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesbrough and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesbrough and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,157 in Middlesbrough versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,127 in Middlesbrough versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,097 in Middlesbrough versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Middlesbrough is roughly 67% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middlesbrough is 57% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.11 £17.82

$11.71 MX$198

105.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 £54.4

$46.59 MX$788

58.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £7.98

$11.65 MX$197

-7.30%

Cappuccino

$4.82 £3.56

$4.09 MX$69.2

17.85%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.80

$1.37 MX$23.23

77.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$0.83 MX$14.09

127.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 £5.07

$3.35 MX$56.7

104.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 £5.45

$6.91 MX$117

6.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.73 MX$29.20

-24.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.26 MX$38.21

-35.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 £1.85

$1.77 MX$29.91

41.24%

Eggs

$3.60 £2.66

$2.73 MX$46.19

31.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 £5.73

$9.18 MX$155

-15.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.23 £5.34

$8.92 MX$151

-18.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 £10.94

$12.60 MX$213

17.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 £1.80

$3.02 MX$51.1

-19.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 £1.79

$1.57 MX$26.55

54.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 £1.97

$2.13 MX$35.93

24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 £1.97

$2.26 MX$38.28

17.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$2.00 MX$33.88

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.17

$2.06 MX$34.90

-22.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.87

$1.18 MX$19.94

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 £2.31

$1.20 MX$20.35

160.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.42 £17.31

$4.63 MX$78.4

405.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 £9.18

$10.69 MX$181

16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.31 £3.19

$1.62 MX$27.38

166.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 £4.63

$2.88 MX$48.70

117.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.64 £4.17

$0.57 MX$9.69

889.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.4 £69.8

$29.83 MX$504

216.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 £3.24

$5.45 MX$92.1

-19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.56 £20.37

$5.98 MX$101

360.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.55 MX$26.26

31.61%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.1K £28.9K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

75.02%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.7K £30.1K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

56.67%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$358 £264

$89.1 MX$1,507

301.41%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.30 £12.79

$25.04 MX$423

-30.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 £31.39

$31.50 MX$532

34.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 £38.70

$67.8 MX$1,146

-22.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.53 £24.79

$28.92 MX$489

15.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 £11.08

$5.05 MX$85.4

196.83%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$816 £603

$225 MX$3,803

262.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.2K £29.7K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

852.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 £77.2

$47.44 MX$802

120.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 £40.54

$44.98 MX$760

21.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £84.5

$82.0 MX$1,386

39.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £79.7

$92.1 MX$1,557

17.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 £714

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-9.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 £518

$405 MX$6,852

72.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 £838

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-41.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 £731

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-24.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,318 £1,713

$749 MX$12.7K

209.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

11.45

-50.74%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Middlesbrough: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $966 in Middlesbrough and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middlesbrough pays 210% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Middlesbrough vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Middlesbrough vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middlesbrough and Playa del Carmen differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($2,157 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 210% higher in Middlesbrough, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $966 in Middlesbrough versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Middlesbrough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $74.0 in Middlesbrough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,157 in Middlesbrough, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Middlesbrough. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Middlesbrough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.